Conveyor device having containers for storing and assembling overlying layered sets of side by side arranged cigarettes for packing up thereof as packets in cigarette packaging machines

ABSTRACT

A conveyor device having cigarette storing containers wherein cigarettes are arranged side by side at a plurality of supply stations for assembling overlying layered sets and packet packing up in cigarette packaging machines, characterized by comprising a belt element having one of its faces provided with transverse teeth longitudinally arranged throughout the belt length, said toothed belt element having an elongated looped configuration with horizontal runs about idle gears, wherein said transverse toothing is internally of said loop so as to mesh in a drive belt fashion with the toothing of said idle gears and having attached to the face opposite the transverse toothing and externally of the loop said cigarette set storing and assembling containers, said toothed belt element also being of a substantially inextensible material having a resiliently yieldable structure; protective fairing means being provided for a boxlike protection of the zone within the loop as defined by said toothed belt element and respective idle gears; and guide means being also provided for guiding said toothed belt element along said horizontal runs.

United States Patent Seragnoli [54] CONVEYOR DEVICE HAVING CONTAINERS FOR STORING AND ASSEMBLING OVERLYING LAYERED SETS OF SIDE BY SIDE ARRANGED CIGARETTES FOR PACKING UP THEREOF AS PACKETS IN CIGARETTE PACKAGING MACHINES [72] lnventorz Ariosoto Seragnoli, Via Bellinzona g 31, Bologna, Italy 22 Filed: March 19,1971

21 Appl. No.: 125,936

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 2, 1970 Italy .3604 A170 [52] US. Cl ..198/131, 198/198 [51] Int. Cl ..B65g 15/00 [58] Field of Search.. ....l98/129, 140, 141, 198,199, 198/204, 131

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,747,725 5/1956 Hatch etal. 198/204 x 2,461,150 2/1949 Flynn m1 ..19s/19s x FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,228,989 11/1966 Germany ..l98/l40 11 1 3,707,219 1 1 Dec. 26, 1972 Primary Examiner-Evan C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-H. S. Lane Attorney-Otto John Munz [5 7] ABSTRACT A conveyor device having cigarette storing containers wherein cigarettes are arranged side by side at a plurality of supply stations for assembling overlying layered sets and packet packing up in cigarette packaging machines, characterized by comprising a belt element having one of its faces provided with transverse teeth longitudinally arranged throughout the belt length, said toothed belt element having an elongated looped configuration with horizontal runs about idle gears, wherein said transverse toothing is internally of said loop so as to mesh in a drive belt fashion with the toothing of said idle gears and having attached to the face opposite the transverse toothing and externally of the loop said cigarette set storing and assembling containers, said toothed belt element also being of a substantially inextensible material having a resiliently yieldable structure; protective fairing means being provided for a boxlike protection of the zone within the loop as defined by said toothed belt element and respective idle gears; and guide means being also provided for guiding said toothed belt element along said horizontal runs.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEUnms I972 1 3.707.219

SHEET 1 or 2 INVENTOR ARIOSTO SERAGNOLI ATTORNEY PATENTED M m 3.707.219

SHEET 2 UF 2 INVENTOR AR I OSTO SERAGNOL I BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention This invention relates to a conveyor device having containers for storing and assembling overlying layered sets of side by side arranged cigarettes for packing up thereof as packets in cigarette packaging machines.

More particularly, the conveyor device according to the present invention is applicable to such machines as used for forming sets of overlying multi-layered cigarettes operating, when forming such cigarette sets, by sequential steps, i.e., forming said individual sets according to a predetermined number of cigarettelayers, subsequently overlying said cigarette layers, each of which comprising a certain number of cigarettes.

2. Description of the Prior Art I Substantially, these conventional machines provide as many stations, which are side by side arranged and spaced apart from one another, as the layers comprising the cigarette set intended to be obtained and to each of these machines the cigarettes are sequentially supplied according to a side by side arrangement and in a same number as that desired for a corresponding layer; a conveyor device including a plurality of containers for carrying each container to sequentially stop at all of said stations; and means for transferring at the same time an individual cigarette layer from each of said stations into the container respectively at a stop thereat, so that, as each individual set is completed at the end of the successive stops of the corresponding container at all of said stations, a complete set is provided at each stop.

As known, in these machines the conveyor device and stations, whereat said conveyor device carries its associated containers to stop for receiving the corresponding cigarette layer, are so arranged in a mutual cooperating relationship, that the travel of said conveyor device to carry said containers from one to the next stations occurstransversely of the cigarette axis, the cigarettes being side by side parallel arranged within the respective containers according to the layering position thereof, reference being made for example to prior art references, namely, US. Pat. No. 3,435,940

and US. Pat. application Ser. No. 721,532 to the same" applicant, as well as the U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 45,881, filed on June 12, 1970 by the same applicant.

It is also known that in practice the formation of overlying multi-layered cigarette sets by sequential steps through the above type of machines gives rise to many disadvantage reverberating throughout the packet cigarette packing up line with frequent changes in the cyclic development of the operating steps in the normal packing up process.

In practice, among the reasons causing these disadvantages, there is also that resulting from the conventional structure of the hitherto used conveyor device having cigarette storing and assembling containers which, as known, normally consists of a pair of chains individually looped about respective pairs of sprocket wheels according to a corresponding vertically extending loop and respectively side by side arranged, said cigarette storing and assembling containers being attached to said chains so as to be equally spaced apart from one another by a spacing equal or submultiple to the centers between two subsequentcigarette drawing stations. This spacing between the cigarette storing and assembling containers correspond to the gauge length for the conveyor device which, as known, in order to sequentially carry said containers to stop at the cigarette storing stations is intermittently or step driven, that is by a translation and a stop for each intermittency or step.

Thus, it was found that by such a chain structure for the conveyor device, as a result of the continuous movement for sequentially carrying the containers to the stop position thereof from one station to another to receive the corresponding cigarette layer, themutual position between the container and station is changed, whereby the cigarette layer transfer from said station into the container at a stop thereat is hindered by irregular impacts with serious drawbacks also for the mechanical members of the machine, besides being the prevailing cause'for all of theabove mentioned disadvantages along the packing up line.

More particularly, it occurs that as a result of th continuous acceleration and deceleration steps of the conveyor device during its intermittent or step movement to carry said containers to stop successively at all of the stations delivering said respective individual cigarette layers, and this particularly where said steps are accomplished at a high operating speed, such as when supplying cigarette packing up-packaging machines operating at a high unit output rate, such as of the type according to the US. Pat. application Ser. No. 721,525 to the same applicant, substantial clearances are built up between the plates or links and the associated pivot pins of said chains due to the severe wear said elements are subjected to by said respective movements and hence elongations in. said chains along with resulting phase displacements in its associated containers relative to said stations, when said containers are at their stop position at said stations.

By such phase displacements which, as the operating speed of these cigarette assembling-packaging machine progressively increases, are increasingly enhanced, the above mentioned difficulties are caused in transferring the cigarette layers from the supplying stations into the containers at a stop thereat causing a failure in the continuous successful operation of the machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is the main object of the present invention to completely oviate all of the above mentioned disadvantages resulting from the above known chain structure of the conveyor device of the above set forth character and use, providing a similar conveyor device having a structure capable of assuring a sufficient phasing degree between its associated storing and holding containers of the overlying cigarette layers and the cigarette supplying or transferring stations when'said containers are at a stop at said stations.

Thus, the present invention relates to a conveyor device for transferring orderly groups of cigarettes arranged to be packed as individual packets of cigarettes.

, 3 The conveyor device comprises an endless elongated belt element of a molded length of a resiliently yieldable material that provides functional rigidity. The elon-' gated belt element has face portions thereon and is mounted for horizontal runs. A plurality of spaced tubular container means are provided for holding the groups of cigarettes and are mounted on one of the face portions. The containers are provided with, notch means. Gear means are rotatably supported at the ends of the elongated belt element. On the other face portion, transverse teeth means are formed integrally with the molded length. The teeth means are longitudinally arranged and are spaced along the length of the elongated belt element and are movable into cooperative engagement with the gear means. Vertically arranged fairing means including oppositely opposed and complementary mounted plate members are positioned to BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further features and advantages will be more evident from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive, embodiment for the conveyor device according to the present invention, as shown by mere way of not limiting example in the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1- is a schematic front perspective view showing the conveyor device of the invention as applied to a machine for forming sets of sequentially. individually overlying 'multilayered cigarettes;

FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged view showing the positively controlled end of said conveyor device according to a front elevational view with some portions being broken away and sectioned for better showing other portions; and

FIG. 3 shows the same conveyor device-,in a sectional view taken along the broken line Il-II in FIG. 2 and seen in the direction of the respective end arrows A- A.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, from FIG. 1 it will be seen that for the machine, according to the above mentioned referencesfor forming sets of sequentially overlying muIti-layered cigarettes to which the present conveyor device to be hereinafter more fully described can be applied, there are schematically shown by thick lines said multi-container conveyor device designated as a whole at l, and by thin lines the cigarette supply hopper designated at 2 with the associated stations 2a, 2b and for forming and supplying the cigarette layers, and the pusher device, designated as a whole at 3, for transferring through its heads 3a, 3b and said cigarette layers from said stations 2a, 2b and 2c into the containers la of the conveyor device 1. Said containers 1a have a tubular box-like shape of a rectangular crosssection and on the outermost face thereof relative to the conveyor element hereinafter described in more detail have a longitudinal opening 1b and a transverse notch 1c, the function of which is apparent'from the above mentioned reference.

For a better understanding of the conveyor device according to the present invention, the operation will now be briefly summarized herein for these composing machines of overlying layered cigarette sets, whereas for a more detailed and complete understanding as to the accomplishment of such an operation reference is had to said references.

The cigarettes to be assembled according to such overlying layered sets and then supplied to the packing up packaging machine, such as, for example, the high unit output rate type. of machine as disclosed in the above mentioned US. Pat. application Ser. No. 721,525, are moved parallel to one another into the supply hopper 2 in any known manner, as provided, for

example, in the US. Pat. Nos. 3,486,647, and 3,495,737 to the same applicant.

The cigarettes from the hopper 2 will downward move by gravity passing through'channels leading them to the stations 2a, 2b and 2c in a side by side intercontacting arrangement and in an amount the same as that desired for making up a respective cigarette layer, for example in the case shown of three stations for forming tri-layered cigarette sets, having seven cigarettes for the outer stations and six cigarettes for the intermediate station.

The conveyor device 1, provided with an intermittent or step movement, when moving will carry its containers 1a to stop opposite said stations 2a, 2b and 2c, whereas during its stops, that is between one translation movement and the other, the reciprocable pusher device 3 will urge in its forward movement through its heads 3a, 3b and 3c the lowermost cigarette layer at the stations 2a, 2b and 2c from these stations into the containers respectively at a stop in front-of said stations. Thus, with the continuous intermittencies or steps of the conveyor device 1 and back and forward movements of the pusher device 3, at each time transferring a cigarette layer from stations 2a, 2b and 2c into'the containers subsequently carried to stop in front of said stations 2a, 2b and 2c, for each step of said conveyor device 1 from that step at which the first set is completed, a complete set comprising three cigarette overlying layers is provided, the two outer layers of which comprising seven cigarettes and the intermediate layer comprising six cigarettes.

The conveyor device 1 having, as explained hereinbelow, the cigarette storing and assembling containers la attached thereto, comprises according to the invention a belt element 1d having one of its faces provided with transverse teeth 1e longitudinally arranged throughout its length. Said transverse teeth 1e extend in the lengthwise direction thereof for a length limited to the median transverse zone of said belt element 1d.

This toothed belt element id is provided of substan- .tially inextensible material having a resiliently yieldable structure, such as of the type as manufactured and sold by Societa Pirelli under the trademark ISORAN, and is formed as an elongated loop having horizontal runs about idle gears 4 and 5, wherein said transverse teeth 1e are internally of said loop so as to mesh in a drive belt fashion with the toothing of said idle gears4 and 5. Said toothing of the idle gears 4 and 5 so develope in the tooth direction as to provide a crown gear of a width about-correspondingly the same as that for the median transverse teeth 1e of the belt element 1d.

Said idle gears 4 and 5 are carried by respective horizontal axes 6 and 7, one of which being positively controlled, such as axis 7 and associated idle gear 5, as from the corresponding above mentioned references.

As above mentioned, to said toothed belt element M, which is looped in a drive belt fashion, externally of said loop there are attached the tubular box-like containers 1a which are equally spaced apart from one another by a spacing corresponding to the gauge, movement plus stop, the conveyor device 1 travels during its intermittent movement to carry said containers la to stop at the stations 2a, 2b and 2c which, in turn, in the present example are spaced apart from one another by a spacing twice as the length of said gauge, so that each container is carried to stop successively at each of said stations every other intermittency or step.

The attachment of said containers to said toothed element 1d can thus at one of the teeth or between two subsequent teeth. In the former case, the attachment will be accomplished with the aid of a plate 8 having such a transverse profile as to mate the outer tooth contour, while in the latter case the attachment is accomplished with the aidof a plate 8a having such a transverse profile as to accomodate the contour of the space between two subsequent teeth; in both cases, said attachment is completed by pairs of screws 9 integral with said containers la and by clamping nuts 10 (as particularly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3).

Such an attachment for the containers la involves having on the width of said idle gears 4 and 5 the provision of grooves, respectively indicated at 4a and 5a, circumferentially spaced apart from one another by a spacing as that between two plates for securing two subsequent containers, i.e., one gauge or step of the conveyor device.

Such a conveyor device which, as above shown, comprises a toothed belt element of substantially inextensible and resiliently yieldable material, isprovided with a protective fairing, particularly from the tobacco powder residuals building up in substantial amounts, as well known, during cigarette assembling operations and, as practically found, being deleterious to a successful operation particularly for a conveyor device embodying the structure according to the invention.

In the example shown, said protective fairing com-' the other end, where the idle gear 4 is located and at which two end plates 11a and 12a are provided as complementary with said plates 11 and 12.

The combinations comprising the plates 11-1 la and l2l2a, respectively, are provided with such a perimctral contour as to mate the loop formed by the toothed belt la' and are disposed laterally of said looped toothed belt element, so that as the latter moves its respective longitudinal side edges are slidably adhering to the peripheral edge of the'corresponding combination of plates 11-1 la and 12-1211.

The plates 11 and 12 are interconnected by ribs 13 internally of the space defined by said plates and with the aid of any known means, such as screws or equivalent means (not shown). i

At the end of the conveyor device, where'said idle gear 4 is located and covered by the plates 1 la and 12a of the protective fairing, any known type of stretching mechanism is provided, such as a fork element 14 connected' by the free ends of the fork legs to the axis 6 of said idle gear 4 and with said fork tail 14a slidably mounted and guided in the guides 15 provided by plate 12 and securable to said plate 12 by screws 16 loosely engaged in the oblong holes 17 on said tail portion 14a. The threading stretcher element 18 can be screwed to said tail portion 14a of the fork member 14 and to a fixed portion 19 projecting from said plate 12;

Thus, any slight yieldings inthe toothed belt element 1d can be registered, thereby maintaining the protective continuity of the fairing because of the overlying cooperation relationship between the adjacent ends of the plates 11-1 1a and 12-12a of said fairing (FIG. 1).

In order to assure the adherence of the longitudinal side edges of the toothed belt conveyor element 1d to the peripheral edge in the combinations of plates 11-1 1a and l2-l2a of the protective fairing, particularly during-the movement steps of said conveyor element and more particularly along its upper and lower horizontal runs, the containers 1d associatedth'erewith for cigarette storing and assembling are provided at the respective opposite longitudinal ends with lugs 1f projecting outwardly of the conveyor belt and directed inwardly of the loop as defined by said conveyor element. Said lugs 1 f are so shaped as to slidably operate in combination with horizontal guide elements disposed laterally of the conveyor element along its upper run, such as by the guide elements 20 and 21 carried in any known means by the protective fairing plates.

In turn, said guide elements 20 and 21 are so shaped as to have a portion thereof, exemplary designated in FIG. 1 at 20a and 21a, upwardly extending to the respective opposite open end of the containers la, excepted for the section or sections where the respective cigarette control and transfer devices into or from said containers la operate, such as at the stations 2a, 2b and 20 for cigarette transfer by the heads 3a, 3b and 3c of the pusher 3 and where the sensing devices (not shown) operate for said cigarette control.

On the other hand, at the bottom said adherence for the longitudinal side edges of the conveyor element 1d on the peripheral edge in the corresponding combination of plates 11-11a and 12-12a of the protective fairingis assured by the rail element 22 carried in any known way by the device structure or frame at such a position that it will sequentially cooperate for engaging the notch 1c on the containers 1a, whereby the latter is slidably supported on said rail element 22.

It has been practically found that the conveyor device of the invention completely embodies all of the intended objects. Particularly, in its practical embodiment high operating speeds have been attained with an output of cigarette sets to be packed up in time unit substantially higher than that for devices having a chain structure as ordinarily used in the art.

Therefore, the invention as devised is obviously capable of many modifications and changes, such as by substituting all of the construction details for elements and that are within the scope of the concept as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

A conveyor device for transferring orderly groups of cigarettes arranged to be packed as individual packets of cigarettes, comprising an-endless elongated belt element of a molded length mounted on one of the face portions of said elongated belt element, said containers having notch means;

gear means rotatably supported at the ends of said elongated belt element;

on the other face portion, transverse teeth-means formed integrally with said molded length;

said teeth means longitudinally arranged and spaced along the length of said elongated belt element and movable into cooperative engagement with said gear means;

vertically arranged fairing means including oppositely opposed and complementary mounted plate members positioned to protectively cover said horizontal run portions and said ends of said elongated belt element;

and guide means including upstanding rail elements arranged parallel to and located adjacent the bottom horizontal run of said elongated belt member, said upstanding rail elements operatively engaging said notches of said containers for slidably supporting said containers thereon. a

t a s a:

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORREQTEON Patent No. 3,707 219 Dated December 26 1972 Inventor(s)' Ariosto Seragnoli It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet [72 "Arios'oto Seragnoli" should read H Ar'iosto Seragnoli same cover sheet insert [73] Assignee: G. D. Societa In Accomandita Semplice Di Enzo Seragnoli E Ariosto Seragnoli, Bologna, Italy Signed and sealed this 3rd day of July 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ene Tegtmeyer Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents ORM PO-IOSO (10-69) uscoMM-oc 60376-P69 i U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1969 0-366-334. 

1. A conveyor device for transferring orderly groups of cigarettes arranged to be packed as individual packets of cigarettes, comprising an endless elongated belt element of a molded length of a resiliently yieldable material providing functional rigidity, said elongated belt element having face portions thereon and being mounted for horizontal runs; a plurality of spaced tubular container means for holding said groups of cigarettes and being mounted on one of the face portions of said elongated belt element, said containers having notch means; gear means rotatably supported at the ends of said elongated belt element; on the other face portion, transverse teeth means formed integrally with said molded length; said teeth means longitudinally arranged and spaced along the length of said elongated belt element and movable into cooperative engagement with said gear means; vertically arranged fairing means including oppositely opposed and complementary mounted plate members positioned to protectively cover said horizontal run portions and said ends of said elongated belt element; and guide means including upstanding rail elements arranged parallel to and located adjacent the bottom horizontal run of said elongated belt member, said upstanding rail elements operatively engaging said notches of said containers for slidably supporting said containers thereon. 